Executive chef David C. Felton

Although Ninety Acres Culinary Center at Natirar just opened in December, executive chef David C. Felton joined the staff last April to consult on everything from appliances to kitchen flow to matchbooks. Now that the restaurant is in full swing, he has bigger fish to fry.

Born near London and raised in Demarest, Felton’s first cooking lessons were at his mother’s knee, and he later graduated from Johnson & Wales. He came to Natirar in Peapack after a three-year stint as executive chef at the nearby Pluckemin Inn.

“My approach is to keep it local and sustainable,” Felton says. “In fact, we have our own farmer right here on the property. I’m fortunate to be able to walk twenty steps from my kitchen to the garden.”

Ninety Acres will begin to reap what it sowed next April when the garlic and other herbs sprout, followed in close succession by salad greens and tomatoes. These fresh ingredients (especially the garlic) will find their way into specialties that evoke the cuisine of Italy, Spain, and the south of France.

Ninety Acres Culinary Center
2 Main Street
Peapack/Gladstone
908-901-9500
Natirar.com